Curt Gowdy State Park
Halfway between Cheyenne and Laramie, three working reservoirs meet an unusually varied network of granite singletrack, quiet coves, campgrounds, and high-country forest.
Artwork inspired by Neltje
Curt Gowdy is not one lake with a ring road. Granite Springs, Crystal, and Upper North Crow reservoirs occupy separate pockets of the southern Laramie Mountains, storing municipal water for Cheyenne while supporting boating and fishing. Their shorelines cut through the Sherman batholith, where coarse pink feldspar, gray quartz, and dark biotite make the rounded outcrops as interesting up close as they are from across the water.
More than 35 miles of signed multi-use trail range from the concrete Kate’s Trail to technical rock gardens and freeride features. Crow Creek Trail reaches Hidden Falls, a small cascade created where uneven erosion formed a step in the granite streambed. Choose by trail rating and surface—not just mileage—and expect hikers, mountain bikers, and horses to share parts of the network.
The reservoirs require different planning from the trails. Swimming is prohibited throughout the park, and waterskiing is not allowed on Crystal or North Crow; cold water, strong wind, and afternoon lightning can quickly change a paddling day. Camping is spread among twelve areas, so reserve or identify a suitable first-come site before arrival instead of assuming the visitor center, trailhead, launch, and campsite are in one place.
- Water system
- Three reservoirs storing up to 10,600 acre-feet
- Trail range
- Concrete nature loop to technical rock gardens
- Elevation
- About 6,800–7,900 feet
Quick guide
- Opening focus
- Pink feldspar rings in coarse Sherman Granite
- Comparison
- Cheyenne’s water system embedded in a recreation landscape ↔ A natural granite knickpoint forming Hidden Falls
Four decisions at Curt Gowdy State Park
- Choose a zone
- Use the park map to match a reservoir, launch, trailhead, and campground to one plan.
- Check wind
- Assess wind and thunderstorms before launching; swimming is prohibited in every reservoir.
- Share trails
- Follow posted direction and yield rules on the multi-use trail network.
- Start early
- Reach Crow Creek Trail or technical bike zones before their small lots fill.
Good to know
Swimming is prohibited in all three reservoirs, and pets may not enter the water. Crystal and North Crow also prohibit waterskiing; vehicles and debris are prohibited on reservoir ice. Download the trail map before leaving service, carry water after seasonal systems shut down, and treat exposed granite as lightning terrain. Most drinking-water systems and some restrooms close from October 1 into early May.
Notice these
- Pink feldspar rings in coarse Sherman Granite
- Cheyenne’s water system embedded in a recreation landscape
- A natural granite knickpoint forming Hidden Falls